JP7708512B2 - Substrate Processing Equipment - Google Patents

Description

This disclosure relates to a substrate processing apparatus.

Apparatuses are known that house a boat loaded with multiple substrates inside a processing chamber and perform film formation processing on the multiple substrates (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2). Patent Document 1 describes a double-structure boat having an inner boat and an outer boat that can move independently in the vertical direction. Patent Document 2 describes a holding means having a first holding boat that holds a wafer and a second holding boat that holds an induction heating element.

JP 2018-67582 A JP 2009-141205 A

This disclosure provides technology that can prevent substrates from sticking to the boat.

A substrate processing apparatus according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a first boat that holds substrates in a shelf-like manner, a second boat that is arranged coaxially with the first boat and also holds substrates in a shelf-like manner, and a drive mechanism that rotates the first boat and the second boat in synchronization and raises and lowers the second boat relative to the first boat, wherein the drive mechanism has a substantially cylindrical rotating shaft, a substantially cylindrical outer support that supports the first boat, and an outer connecting mechanism that connects the rotating shaft and the outer support, wherein the rotating shaft and the outer support are formed of materials having different thermal expansion coefficients, and the outer connecting mechanism includes a hub formed of a material having a thermal expansion coefficient between the thermal expansion coefficient of the material constituting the rotating shaft and the thermal expansion coefficient of the material constituting the outer support .

This disclosure makes it possible to prevent the substrate from sticking to the boat.

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an example of a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment; FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of a substrate holder; FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of a substrate holder; FIG. 13 is a side view showing the substrate holder holding the substrate in the first boat; FIG. 13 is a side view showing the substrate holder holding the substrate in the second boat; FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a driving mechanism for driving a substrate holder. FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective sectional view illustrating an outer support and an inner support. FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view illustrating an outer support; FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an outer coupling mechanism and an inner coupling mechanism. FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective sectional view illustrating an outer coupling mechanism and an inner coupling mechanism. FIG. 13 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the outer coupling mechanism. FIG. 13 is a plan view illustrating the outer coupling mechanism. FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view illustrating an inner support; FIG. 13 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the inner coupling mechanism. FIG. 11 is a plan view illustrating the inner connection mechanism.

Hereinafter, non-limiting exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the attached drawings. In all the attached drawings, the same or corresponding members or parts are denoted by the same or corresponding reference numerals, and duplicate descriptions will be omitted.

[Board sticking]
When a substrate is placed on a claw provided on a boat and the boat with the substrate placed thereon is housed in a processing vessel to perform a film formation process on the substrate, the substrate may stick to the claw, particularly when a thick polysilicon film is formed on the substrate.

One example of a measure to prevent the substrate from sticking to the nail is a technique that reduces the contact area between the nail and the substrate by forming minute irregularities on the surface of the nail. However, when the film formed on the substrate is thick, the substrate may still stick to the nail even when the above technique is applied.

The present disclosure provides a technology that includes a first boat and a second boat that rise and fall relative to one another, and that uses a substrate holder that can transfer substrates between the first boat and the second boat, thereby preventing the substrate from sticking to the boat. This is described in detail below.

[Substrate Processing Apparatus]
An example of a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1. The substrate processing apparatus according to the embodiment is a batch type apparatus that processes a plurality of substrates at once.

The substrate processing apparatus 1 has a processing vessel 10, a gas supply unit 30, an exhaust unit 40, a heating unit 50, and a control unit 80.

The processing vessel 10 is capable of depressurizing the inside. The processing vessel 10 accommodates a substrate W. The substrate W is, for example, a semiconductor wafer. The processing vessel 10 includes an inner tube 11 and an outer tube 12. The inner tube 11 is generally cylindrical with a ceiling and an open lower end. The outer tube 12 is generally cylindrical with a ceiling and an open lower end that covers the outside of the inner tube 11. The inner tube 11 and the outer tube 12 are made of a heat-resistant material such as quartz, and are arranged coaxially to form a double-tube structure.

The ceiling of the inner tube 11 is, for example, flat. On one side of the inner tube 11, a storage section 13 that stores a gas nozzle is formed along its longitudinal direction (vertical direction). The storage section 13 is an area within a protrusion 14 that is formed by protruding part of the side wall of the inner tube 11 outward.

A rectangular opening 15 is formed along the longitudinal direction (vertical direction) of the side wall of the inner tube 11 opposite the storage section 13.

The opening 15 is a gas exhaust port formed so that gas can be exhausted from the inner tube 11. The length of the opening 15 is the same as the length of the substrate holder 100, or is a length that extends in both the up and down directions longer than the length of the substrate holder 100.

The lower end of the processing vessel 10 is supported by a substantially cylindrical manifold 17 made of, for example, stainless steel. A flange 18 is formed at the upper end of the manifold 17, and the lower end of the outer tube 12 is placed on the flange 18 to support it. A seal member 19 such as an O-ring is interposed between the flange 18 and the lower end of the outer tube 12 to keep the inside of the outer tube 12 airtight.

A roughly annular support 20 is provided on the inner wall of the upper portion of the manifold 17. The support 20 supports the lower end of the inner tube 11. A lid 21 is airtightly attached to the opening at the lower end of the manifold 17 via a sealing member 22 such as an O-ring. The lid 21 has a roughly circular plate shape and airtightly closes the opening at the lower end of the processing vessel 10, i.e., the opening of the manifold 17. The lid 21 is made of, for example, stainless steel.

A driving mechanism 200 is provided through the center of the lid 21. The lower part of the driving mechanism 200 is rotatably supported by an arm 25a of a lifting mechanism 25 consisting of a boat elevator. The driving mechanism 200 rotates the first boat 110 and the second boat 120 in synchronization with each other, and raises and lowers the second boat 120 relative to the first boat 110. The lid 21, the driving mechanism 200, the first boat 110, and the second boat 120 move up and down together in response to the lifting and lowering of the lifting mechanism 25, and as a result, the first boat 110 and the second boat 120 are inserted into and removed from the processing vessel 10. The driving mechanism 200 will be described in detail later.

The first boat 110 and the second boat 120 constitute a substrate holder 100 that holds multiple substrates W (e.g., 50 to 150 substrates) in a shelf-like configuration. Details of the substrate holder 100 will be described later.

A heat retention table 28 is provided on the lid 21. The heat retention table 28 keeps the substrate holder 100 warm by preventing the substrate holder 100 from being cooled by heat transfer to the lid 21 side. For example, the heat retention table 28 has a configuration in which a number of quartz plates are attached to a number of supports provided on the lid 21 and are arranged approximately horizontally at intervals in the vertical direction.

The gas supply unit 30 includes a gas nozzle 31. The gas nozzle 31 is made of, for example, quartz. The gas nozzle 31 is provided in the inner tube 11 along its longitudinal direction, and its base end is bent into an L-shape and supported so as to penetrate the manifold 17. The gas nozzle 31 has multiple gas holes 31h along its longitudinal direction, and ejects processing gas horizontally from the multiple gas holes 31h. The multiple gas holes 31h are arranged, for example, at intervals equal to the intervals between the substrates W supported by the substrate holder 100. The type of processing gas is not limited, but examples include film formation gas, etching gas, and purge gas.

In the example of FIG. 1, the gas supply unit 30 includes one gas nozzle 31, but the number of gas nozzles is not limited. For example, the gas supply unit 30 may include multiple gas nozzles. In this case, the multiple gas nozzles may be configured to eject the same process gas, or may be configured to eject different process gases.

The exhaust section 40 exhausts gas that is exhausted from the inner tube 11 through the opening 15 and from the gas outlet 41 through the space P1 between the inner tube 11 and the outer tube 12. The gas outlet 41 is formed on the upper side wall of the manifold 17, above the support section 20. An exhaust passage 42 is connected to the gas outlet 41. A pressure adjustment valve 43 and a vacuum pump 44 are sequentially interposed in the exhaust passage 42, so that the inside of the processing vessel 10 can be exhausted.

The heating unit 50 is provided around the outer tube 12. The heating unit 50 is provided, for example, on the base plate 29. The heating unit 50 has a substantially cylindrical shape so as to cover the outer tube 12. The heating unit 50 includes, for example, a heating element, and heats the substrate W in the processing vessel 10.

The control unit 80 is configured to control the operation of each part of the substrate processing apparatus 1. The control unit 80 may be, for example, a computer. Computer programs that control the operation of each part of the substrate processing apparatus 1 are stored in a storage medium 90. The storage medium 90 may be, for example, a flexible disk, a compact disk, a hard disk, a flash memory, a DVD, etc.

[Substrate holder]
An example of the substrate holder 100 included in the substrate processing apparatus 1 of the embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 2 to Fig. 5. Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the substrate holder in a state in which a second boat is in the process of being attached to a first boat, and Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the substrate holder in a state in which the second boat has been attached to the first boat.

The substrate holder 100 can be accommodated in the processing vessel 10 and holds multiple substrates substantially horizontally with a gap between them in the vertical direction. The substrate holder 100 has a first boat 110 and a second boat 120.

The first boat 110 includes a bottom plate 111, a top plate 112, and pillars 113 (113a to 113c). The bottom plate 111, the top plate 112, and the pillars 113 are made of a heat-resistant material such as quartz or silicon carbide.

The bottom plate 111 is supported by an outer support 225, which will be described later. The bottom plate 111 has a generally annular plate shape with an outer diameter larger than the outer diameter of the substrate to be held. The bottom plate 111 may also have a generally circular plate shape.

The top plate 112 is provided above the bottom plate 111 and faces the bottom plate 111. Like the bottom plate 111, the top plate 112 has a generally annular plate shape with an outer diameter larger than the outer diameter of the substrate to be held. The top plate 112 may also have a generally circular plate shape.

The pillars 113 are rod-shaped extending in the vertical direction, and connect the bottom plate 111 and the top plate 112. The three pillars 113a to 113c have the same length. The pillars 113a to 113c are provided so that their center points are located on the same circumference . A plurality of grooves 114 are formed in each of the pillars 113a to 113c at intervals in the vertical direction. The grooves 114 form a mounting surface 115 (FIGS. 4 and 5) on which a substrate is placed. The substrate is held by the pillars 113 when it is placed on the mounting surface 115.

The second boat 120 is configured to be detachable from the first boat 110 by horizontal movement. The second boat 120 is provided coaxially with the first boat 110 and configured to be movable up and down relative to the first boat 110. The second boat 120 includes a bottom plate 121, a top plate 122, and support columns 123 (123a to 123c). The bottom plate 121, the top plate 122, and the support columns 123 are formed from a heat-resistant material such as quartz, silicon carbide, etc.

The bottom plate 121 is supported by the inner support 235, which will be described later, and is disposed above the bottom plate 111. The bottom plate 121 has a generally annular plate shape with an outer diameter larger than that of the substrate to be held, and is disposed so as to overlap the bottom plate 111 in a plan view. The bottom plate 121 may also have a generally circular plate shape. Notches 121a to 121c are formed on the outer edge of the bottom plate 121, through which the supports 113a to 113c are inserted. The notches 121a to 121c are formed so that the bottom plate 121 does not come into contact with the supports 113a to 113c when the second boat 120 is moved horizontally to be attached to the first boat 110.

The top plate 122 is provided above the bottom plate 121 and below the top plate 112, facing the bottom plate 121. Like the bottom plate 121, the top plate 122 has an approximately annular plate shape with an outer diameter larger than the outer diameter of the substrate to be held. Notches 122a to 122c are formed on the outer edge of the top plate 122, through which the supports 113a to 113c are inserted. The notches 122a to 122c are formed so that the top plate 122 and the supports 113a to 113c do not come into contact with each other when the second boat 120 is moved horizontally to be attached to the first boat 110. A recessed surface 122s is formed on the inner edge of the top plate 122. The recessed surface 122s has an upper surface that is lower than the upper surface of the top plate 122, and functions as a mounting surface for placing a lid (not shown) that covers the opening 122h of the top plate 122. The top plate 122 may have a generally circular plate shape.

The support pillars 123 are rod-shaped extending in the vertical direction, and connect the bottom plate 121 and the top plate 122. The three support pillars 123a to 123c have the same length. The support pillars 123a to 123c are provided so that their center points are located on the same circumference as the center points of the support pillars 113a to 113c. The support pillars 123a to 123c are shorter than the support pillars 113a to 113c. A plurality of grooves 124 are formed in each of the support pillars 123a to 123c at intervals in the vertical direction. The grooves 124 form a mounting surface 125 (FIGS. 4 and 5) on which a substrate is mounted. The substrate is held by the support pillars 123 when the substrate is mounted on the mounting surface 125.

[Delivery of the board]
An example of substrate transfer in the substrate holder 100 will be described with reference to Figures 4 and 5. Figure 4 is a side view showing the substrate holder in a state where a substrate is held by a first boat, and Figure 5 is a side view showing the substrate holder in a state where a substrate is held by a second boat.

When the first boat 110 holds the substrate W, the second boat 120 is lowered until the position of the placement surface 125 moves below the position of the placement surface 115, as shown in FIG. 4. This places the substrate W on the placement surface 115 and separates it from the placement surface 125.

When the second boat 120 holds the substrate W, the second boat 120 is raised until the position of the placement surface 125 is higher than the position of the placement surface 115, as shown in FIG. 5. This places the substrate W on the placement surface 125 and separates it from the placement surface 115.

For example, when the substrate holder 100 holding the substrate W in the first boat 110 is housed in the processing vessel 10 and a film forming process is performed on the substrate W in the processing vessel 10, the second boat 120 is raised relative to the first boat 110 during the film forming process. As a result, the substrate W held in the first boat 110 is transferred to the second boat 120. Also, with the substrate W held in the second boat 120, the second boat 120 is lowered relative to the first boat 110. As a result, the substrate W held in the second boat 120 is transferred to the first boat 110. In this way, by transferring the substrate W between the first boat 110 and the second boat 120 during the film forming process, the substrate W does not remain on the placement surface 115 and the placement surface 125. As a result, it is possible to prevent the substrate W from sticking to the placement surface 115 and the placement surface 125. During the film formation process, the substrate W may be transferred between the first boat 110 and the second boat 120 multiple times.

[Drive mechanism]
An example of a drive mechanism will be described with reference to Figures 6 to 15. The drive mechanism 200 rotates the first boat 110 and the second boat 120 in synchronization with each other, and raises and lowers the second boat 120 relative to the first boat 110. The drive mechanism 200 has a fixed part 210, a rotating part 220, and a rotary/linear part 230.

The fixed part 210 has a bottom plate 211, a top plate 212, a connecting member 213, a fixed sleeve 214, and a purge gas inlet 215.

The bottom plate 211 is supported by the arm 25a (Figure 1) of the lifting mechanism 25 and moves up and down relative to the processing vessel 10.

The top plate 212 is provided above the bottom plate 211, facing the bottom plate 211. An opening is formed in the center of the top plate 212, through which the rotating shaft 221 and linear motion shaft 231 described below are inserted. The lower end of the lid 21 is connected to the top plate 212 via a sealing member 21s such as an O-ring.

The connecting member 213 is a columnar body that extends in the vertical direction and connects the bottom plate 211 and the top plate 212.

The fixed sleeve 214 has a hollow, generally cylindrical shape that extends downward from the center of the top plate 212. A rotor 222 (described later) is rotatably mounted on the outer periphery of the fixed sleeve 214 via a bearing 216. A magnetic fluid seal 217 is provided below the bearing 216 between the fixed sleeve 214 and the rotor 222. The magnetic fluid seal 217 hermetically seals the gap between the fixed sleeve 214 and the rotor 222.

The purge gas inlet 215 is provided penetrating the side wall of the fixed sleeve 214, and introduces a purge gas into the fixed sleeve 214. By introducing the purge gas into the fixed sleeve 214 from the purge gas inlet 215, it is possible to prevent the processing gas discharged from the gas nozzle 31 from flowing into the gap between the fixed sleeve 214 and the rotating shaft 221. The purge gas is, for example, an inert gas such as Ar gas or _N2 gas.

The rotating part 220 has a rotating shaft 221, a rotating body 222, a rotation drive source 223, a connecting member 224, an outer support 225, and an outer connecting mechanism 226.

The rotating shaft 221 has a hollow, generally cylindrical shape. The rotating shaft 221 is inserted into the fixed sleeve 214 with a small gap from the inner surface of the fixed sleeve 214. The upper end of the rotating shaft 221 is connected to an outer support 225 via an outer connecting mechanism 226. The lower end of the rotating shaft 221 is connected to a connecting member 224, which is connected to a rotor 222. The rotating shaft 221 is formed with a through hole 221h that connects the gap between the fixed sleeve 214 and the rotating shaft 221 and the gap between the rotating shaft 221 and the linear motion shaft 231.

The through hole 221h guides the purge gas introduced from the purge gas inlet 215 into the fixed sleeve 214 into the rotating shaft 221. This prevents the process gas discharged from the gas nozzle 31 from flowing into the gap between the rotating shaft 221 and the linear shaft 231. The through hole 221h may be formed to penetrate the connecting member 224 and configured to guide the purge gas into the gap between the rotating shaft 221 and the linear shaft 231. The rotating shaft 221 is made of, for example, a metal.

The rotating body 222 is rotatably mounted on the outer periphery of the fixed sleeve 214 via a bearing 216. A connecting member 224 is connected to the lower end of the rotating body 222.

The rotary drive source 223 is, for example, a motor, and rotates the rotating body 222.

The connecting member 224 connects the lower end of the rotating body 222 to the lower end of the rotating shaft 221. As a result, the rotating shaft 221, the rotating body 222, and the connecting member 224 rotate as a unit. The lifting drive plate 234 is connected to the lower surface of the connecting member 224 via the bellows 227 and the spline 228. As a result, the area surrounded by the rotating shaft 221, the connecting member 224, the linear motion shaft 231, and the lifting drive plate 234 is airtightly sealed. In addition, the rotating shaft 221, the connecting member 224, the linear motion shaft 231, and the lifting drive plate 234 rotate synchronously. Note that the rotating shaft 221, the rotating body 222, and the connecting member 224 may be formed as a unit.

The outer support 225 is made of, for example, quartz, and includes a shaft portion 225a, a lower end portion 225b, a flange portion 225c, and a support protrusion 225d.

The shaft portion 225a has a hollow, approximately cylindrical shape. At the bottom of the shaft portion 225a, a through hole 225h is formed penetrating the side wall of the shaft portion 225a. The through hole 225h discharges the purge gas flowing upward through the gap between the shaft portion 225a and the shaft portion 235a to the outside of the shaft portion 225a. This prevents the purge gas introduced from the purge gas inlet 215 from being blown out from the upper end of the shaft portion 225a toward the substrate holder 100 when the lid 21 airtightly closes the opening at the lower end of the processing vessel 10. As a result, the flow of the processing gas discharged from the gas nozzle 31 toward the substrate holder 100 can be prevented from being disturbed by the purge gas.

The lower end 225b is formed at the lower end of the outer support 225 and is connected to the rotating shaft 221 via the outer connecting mechanism 226.

The flange portion 225c is formed at the upper end of the outer support 225. A plurality of (e.g., four) support protrusions 225d are provided on the flange portion 225c at intervals along the circumferential direction of the flange portion 225c.

Each support protrusion 225d includes a mounting surface 225d1 and a positioning portion 225d2 (Figure 8). The first boat 110 is supported in a position on the support protrusion 225d by placing the bottom plate 111 on each mounting surface 225d1 and engaging the inner peripheral surface of the bottom plate 111 with the positioning portion 225d2.

The outer connecting mechanism 226 connects the rotating shaft 221 and the outer support 225. The outer connecting mechanism 226 includes a hub 226a and a hub 226b.

The hub 226a is made of the same material as the rotating shaft 221, for example, metal. The hub 226a has a hollow, approximately cylindrical shape with a through hole 226a1 that penetrates in the vertical direction. The inner diameter of the through hole 226a1 at the lower end is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the upper end of the rotating shaft 221. This allows the rotating shaft 221 to be inserted through the through hole 226a1 and the hub 226a to be fitted onto the rotating shaft 221. The hub 226a is fixed to the rotating shaft 221 by screws or the like. The outer edge of the upper surface of the hub 226a is formed with an approximately annular guide protrusion 226a2 that protrudes from the upper surface. The inner diameter of the guide protrusion 226a2 is set to be slightly larger than the outer diameter of the lower end of the hub 226b. This allows the lower end of the hub 226b to be fitted into the hub 226a.

The hub 226b is made of a material having a thermal expansion coefficient smaller than that of the material constituting the hub 226a and larger than that of the material constituting the outer support 225, for example, a ceramic material such as silicon nitride (Si ₃ N ₄ ). The hub 226b has a hollow, generally cylindrical shape with a through hole 226b1 penetrating in the vertical direction. A generally annular guide protrusion 226b2 protruding from the upper surface is formed on the outer edge of the upper surface of the hub 226b. The guide protrusion 226b2 has three flat portions 226b3. The inner diameter of the guide protrusion 226b2 is set slightly larger than the outer diameter of the lower end of the lower end 225b. As a result, the lower end of the lower end 225b is fitted into the hub 226b. In addition, three flat surfaces 225b3 corresponding to the three flat surfaces 226b3 are formed on the lower end of the lower end portion 225b, and the three flat surfaces 225b3 engage with the three flat surfaces 226b3, respectively, to position the outer support body 225 relative to the hub 226b.

The rotary linear motion unit 230 has a linear motion shaft 231, a lifting stage 232, a lifting drive source 233, a lifting drive plate 234, an inner support 235, and an inner connecting mechanism 236.

The linear shaft 231 has a solid, generally cylindrical shape. The linear shaft 231 is inserted into the rotating shaft 221 with a small gap from the inner surface of the rotating shaft 221. An inner support 235 is connected to the upper end of the linear shaft 231 via an inner coupling mechanism 236. An elevation drive plate 234 is connected to the lower end of the linear shaft 231. The linear shaft 231 is made of, for example, metal.

The lift stage 232 is raised and lowered by the power of the lift drive source 233. A lift drive plate 234 is installed on the lift stage 232 via a bearing 232a.

The lifting drive source 233 is, for example, a ball screw, and raises and lowers the lifting stage 232.

The lifting drive plate 234 is connected to the lower end of the linear motion shaft 231. The lifting drive plate 234 rises and falls integrally with the lifting stage 232 in response to the lifting and falling of the lifting stage 232, and lifts and falls the linear motion shaft 231 relative to the rotation shaft 221. The lifting drive plate 234 may be formed integrally with the linear motion shaft 231.

The inner support 235 is made of, for example, quartz, and includes a shaft portion 235a, a lower end portion 235b, a flange portion 235c, and a support protrusion 235d.

The shaft portion 235a has a solid, generally cylindrical shape. The shaft portion 235a is inserted into the shaft portion 225a with a small gap from the inner surface of the shaft portion 225a.

The lower end 235b is formed at the lower end of the inner support 235 and is connected to the linear shaft 231 via the inner connecting mechanism 236.

The flange portion 235c is detachably attached to the upper end of the shaft portion 235a. A plurality of (e.g., four) support protrusions 235d are provided on the flange portion 235c at intervals along the circumferential direction of the flange portion 235c.

Each support protrusion 235d includes a mounting surface 235d1 and a positioning portion 235d2 (FIG. 13). The second boat 120 is supported in a position on the support protrusion 235d by placing the bottom plate 121 on each mounting surface 235d1 and engaging the inner peripheral surface of the bottom plate 121 with the positioning portion 235d2.

The inner coupling mechanism 236 couples the linear shaft 231 and the inner support 235. The inner coupling mechanism 236 includes a hub 236a and a hub 236b.

The hub 236a is made of the same material as the linear shaft 231, for example, metal. The hub 236a has a hollow, generally cylindrical shape with a through hole 236a1 that penetrates in the vertical direction. The inner diameter of the through hole 236a1 at the lower end is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the upper end of the linear shaft 231. This allows the linear shaft 231 to be inserted through the through hole 236a1 and the hub 236a to be fitted into the linear shaft 231. The hub 236a is fixed to the linear shaft 231 by a screw or the like. The inner diameter of the through hole 236a1 at the upper end is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the lower end of the hub 236b. This allows the lower end of the hub 236b to be inserted through the through hole 236a1 and the hub 236b to be fitted into the hub 236a.

The hub 236b is made of a material having a thermal expansion coefficient smaller than that of the material constituting the hub 236a and larger than that of the material constituting the outer support 225, for example, a ceramic material such as Si ₃ N _4. A guide protrusion 236b2 having a substantially circular ring shape is formed on the outer edge of the upper surface of the hub 236b and protrudes from the upper surface. The guide protrusion 236b2 has three flat surfaces 236b3. The inner diameter of the guide protrusion 236b2 is set to be slightly larger than the outer diameter of the lower end of the lower end 235b. This allows the lower end of the lower end 235b to be fitted into the hub 236b. In addition, three flat surfaces 235b3 corresponding to the three flat surfaces 236b3 are formed on the lower end of the lower end 235b, and the three flat surfaces 235b3 are engaged with the three flat surfaces 236b3, respectively, to position the inner support 235 relative to the hub 236b.

The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive. The above-described embodiments may be omitted, substituted, or modified in various ways without departing from the scope and spirit of the appended claims.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 10 Processing vessel 110 First boat 120 Second boat 200 Driving mechanism 210 Fixed part 220 Rotating part 230 Rotation-linear part W Substrate

Claims (17)

a first boat for holding substrates in a shelf-like form;
a second boat arranged coaxially with the first boat and configured to hold substrates in a shelf-like shape;
a drive mechanism that rotates the first boat and the second boat in synchronization with each other and raises and lowers the second boat relative to the first boat;
Equipped with
The drive mechanism includes:
A substantially cylindrical rotating shaft;
a generally cylindrical outer support supporting the first boat;
an outer connecting mechanism that connects the rotating shaft and the outer support;
having
The rotating shaft and the outer support are formed of materials having different thermal expansion coefficients,
the outer coupling mechanism includes a hub formed of a material having a coefficient of thermal expansion between a coefficient of thermal expansion of a material constituting the rotating shaft and a coefficient of thermal expansion of a material constituting the outer support;
Substrate processing equipment. The drive mechanism has a substantially cylindrical fixed sleeve,
The rotating shaft is inserted into the fixed sleeve with a gap therebetween and rotates relative to the fixed sleeve .
The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 . The fixed sleeve is provided with an inlet for introducing an inert gas into a gap between the fixed sleeve and the rotating shaft.
The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2 . The drive mechanism has a linear motion shaft that is inserted into the rotation shaft with a gap therebetween and moves up and down relative to the rotation shaft.
The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2 or 3. A through hole is formed in the rotating shaft to communicate a gap between the fixed sleeve and the rotating shaft and a gap between the rotating shaft and the linear motion shaft.
The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 4 . The drive mechanism has a bellows that air-tightly seals a gap between the rotation shaft and the linear motion shaft.
The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 4 . The drive mechanism includes :
a substantially cylindrical inner support member that is inserted into the outer support member with a gap therebetween and supports the second boat;
an inner connecting mechanism that connects the linear motion shaft and the inner support;
having
The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 4 . The outer support has a through hole formed therein that penetrates the side wall of the outer support.
The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 7 . The linear motion shaft and the inner support are formed of materials having different thermal expansion coefficients,
the inner coupling mechanism includes a hub formed of a material having a coefficient of thermal expansion between a coefficient of thermal expansion of a material constituting the linear motion shaft and a coefficient of thermal expansion of a material constituting the inner support;
The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 7 or 8 . a first boat for holding substrates in a shelf-like form;
a second boat arranged coaxially with the first boat and configured to hold substrates in a shelf-like shape;
a drive mechanism that rotates the first boat and the second boat in synchronization with each other and raises and lowers the second boat relative to the first boat;
Equipped with
The drive mechanism includes:
A linear axis;
a generally cylindrical inner support supporting the second boat;
an inner connecting mechanism that connects the linear motion shaft and the inner support;
having
The linear motion shaft and the inner support are formed of materials having different thermal expansion coefficients,
the inner coupling mechanism includes a hub formed of a material having a coefficient of thermal expansion between a coefficient of thermal expansion of a material constituting the linear motion shaft and a coefficient of thermal expansion of a material constituting the inner support;
Substrate processing equipment. The drive mechanism includes:
A substantially cylindrical fixed sleeve;
a substantially cylindrical rotating shaft that is inserted into the fixed sleeve with a gap therebetween and rotates relatively to the fixed sleeve;
having
The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 10 . The fixed sleeve is provided with an inlet for introducing an inert gas into a gap between the fixed sleeve and the rotating shaft.
The substrate processing apparatus of claim 11 . The linear motion shaft is inserted into the rotation shaft with a gap therebetween and moves up and down relative to the rotation shaft.
The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 11 or 12. A through hole is formed in the rotating shaft to communicate a gap between the fixed sleeve and the rotating shaft and a gap between the rotating shaft and the linear motion shaft.
The substrate processing apparatus of claim 13 . The drive mechanism has a bellows that air-tightly seals a gap between the rotation shaft and the linear motion shaft.
The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 13 or 14. The drive mechanism includes:
a generally cylindrical outer support supporting the first boat;
an outer connecting mechanism that connects the rotating shaft and the outer support;
having
The inner support is inserted into the outer support with a gap therebetween.
The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 13 . The outer support has a through hole formed therein that penetrates the side wall of the outer support.
The substrate processing apparatus of claim 16 .